The Russian based mediaPravda reported on April 11, that “Russian warships kicked off naval exercises near the coast of Syria”. According to the Moscow Times, “The Russian Navy is reportedly scheduled to launch firing drills off the coast of Syria on April 11 (Wednesday) amid fears of an imminent U.S. airstrike against Syria following a suspected chemical attack”.

We are at a Dangerous crossroads: According to the report (which has not been addressed by the Western media): on Wednesday. U.S. President Donald Trump later directly warned Russia that missiles were “coming” to Syria after blaming Damascus for an alleged deadly gas attack in the town of Douma.”

Screenshot of Moscow Times, April 11, 2018

While, Pravda.ru’s report intimates that “Russia Closes Airspace above Syrian Coast”, there is however no official confirmation from the Russian Ministry of Defense other than a routine advisory pertaining to the conduct of war games off the Syrian coastline. According to Pravda.ru:

The message contains coordinates of the closed area and states the fact of firing exercises. The area of the exercises located in international waters of the Mediterranean is adjacent to the sea border of Syria. It will be closed on April 11-12, April 17-19 and on April 25-26 from 10 to 18 Moscow time.

Russia currently has about 15 warships and logistics vessels of the Black Fleet in the Mediterranean Sea, including Admiral Grigorovich and Admiral Essen frigates (they carry Caliber cruise missiles), as well as submarines.

These war games are conducted in response to ongoing US military threats directed against Syria, not to mention the ongoing deployment of US naval power in the Eastern Mediterranean.

It is also worth noting that according to the Daily Star (April 6, 2018) Russian warships have also been conducting naval war games in the Baltic Sea off the coast of Latvia. See screenshot below

If U.S. President Donald Trump decides to take military action against the Syrian government in response to Saturday’s chemical weapons attack outside of Damascus, he would almost certainly have to approve a wider operation than the limited strikes he ordered just over a year ago.

“In order for the administration to actually inflict enough pain on the [Bashar al-]Assad government to send the signal that Trump wants, the U.S. would have to hit a wider package of targets,” says Nicholas Heras, a fellow at the Center for a New American Security. “That would essentially cripple Assad’s military capabilities.”

Trump’s Chemical Weapons justification to bomb Syria is based on the presumption that President Assad is allegedly killing his own people is fabricated. This is a lie. Moreover, there is ample evidence that the U.S sponsored “rebels” (aka Al Qaeda affiliated terrorists) rather than the government of Bashar Al Assad are not only in possession of chemical weapons, they have been trained by the Pentagon.

According to CNN report by Barbara Starr dated September 2013:

Who is doing the training of terrorists in the use of chemical weapons? From the horse’s mouth: CNN

According to the Washington Times, coinciding with the commencement of Russia’s war games off the Syrian coast, the US Navy has deployed several warships in the Eastern Mediterranean. including the USS Ramage, USS Mahan, USS Gravely and USS Barry which are armed with ballistic missiles. (Washington Times, April 10, 2018)

These deployments of US Naval power are to be followed by the dispatch of the USS Truman Carrier Strike Group “accompanied by the guided-missile cruiser USS Normandy and the guided-missile destroyers USS Arleigh Burke, USS Bulkeley, USS Forrest Sherman and USS Farragut.” (Stars and Stripes, April 09, 2018). The Carrier group has 6500 sailors as well as air force personnel.